Secret-Ingredient:Sugar
by MakingMatureJokes
Summary: The SugarBaby! AU from my Ladrien June oneshot for Secret. Adrien’s best friend talks him into getting a sugar baby to give him some much needed attention. The beautiful Ladybug seems like the perfect girl for the job. No Miraculous. Smut in future. My spacebar still doesnt work for titles.
1. Ch:1

Adrien wondered, not for the first time, if it might have, _maybe_, been a bad idea to let Nino talk him into this. Deciding he had nothing left to lose, he hit save account.

He was officially up as a sugar daddy.

He hadn't uploaded a picture and had put his name as '_Chat_Noir_' in order to make sure he didn't have a mass tidal wave of fangirls flocking to his account. He knew that almost anyone who could become his sugar baby would know who he was after they met, but that didn't really matter that much at that point. If they couldn't keep it in control he would just... End the arrangement.

Adrien cringed at the sound of it. He wasn't really sure about this whole business of buying a girl's affections, but his best friend Nino said it would be good for him. To have someone to spoil and someone to love on him and give him sorely needed attention.

He couldn't argue with him on that.

But when he got a request not much longer than two hours later by a _very_ pretty girl with blue eyes and the username _Ladybug_, he decided it couldn't be _that_ bad of an idea.

Marinette wasn't quite sure about contacting a sugar daddy whose account was more vague than Alya's plans for her love life, but the yearly salary he provided on his account was just a _little_ too big for her to pass up. Alya wouldn't be happy with her for entering something like this without even knowing what his name was or what he looked like. Well, she knew he was blonde and had green eyes, and was twenty-three. Or at least, that's what he told her, as well as the fact that he would be wearing a light blue shirt when they met up Thursday night at six.

She might have been a little too accepting. Just a little bit.

Adrien sat in his booth, his leg bouncing nervously. He hoped this went well. Ladybug's account had been, to say the least, _appealing_. A beautiful woman who actually _liked_ to cook and bake and sew? Wasn't that like, what every man wanted? Adrien would admit, having a home cooked meal every now and then and someone to eat it with sounded... Well, a _lot_ more than just nice. And if she was really into designing, then they would have things to talk about, right? He just hoped that she turned out as fun as her account made her out to be. And as sweet as she had sounded through text...

He heard the door of the restaurant open and looked up quickly, his eyes blowing wide. That was definitely her, talking to the greeter with a smile that was bright enough to light up the whole room, he was sure. Her hair was curled and just barely touching the shoulders of her red vintage cocktail dress spotted with black. Yup, that was definitely Ladybug.

The greeter pointed in his direction and her eyes followed it, widening slightly when they landed on him. Her smile stayed in place as her cheeks turned a light shade of pink and she made her way over.

Adrien felt as if he had died and gone to Heaven with the way his heart stopped. He could barely breathe as he watched her gracefully approach him and slide into the seat across from him.

"Hello," She said softly, her voice a bit off with the slightest hint of a foreign accent and mind blowingly smooth. Up close he could see freckles across her nose and a few dotted under her eyes-

God, her eyes. He had never seen _anything_ so damn blue. And her hair was-

His thoughts were cut off by a girlish giggle as his ears heated with a raging blush.

"And here I was worried _I_ would be the speechless one." She said, peering up at him through her eyelashes. Without meaning to, Adrien wheezed and grasped his chest as if to keep his heart from ripping out and flopping on the table.

"U-Uhm… A-Adri-en Ag-greste." He stammered out, shakily holding his hand out for her to shake.

"I know." She said, another giggle escaping as she gently placed her hand in his, giving him the best hand shake he's ever had. Her hands were warm and soft, and fit into his _just so..._

_I bet she'd give you the best hand somewhere else, too__. _His brain whispered, causing him to choke and retract his hand. Waving away the thought he gave her a weary smile, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So, uh... You are?"

"You can call me anything you want, but for now I'd rather not give anything more than Ladybug. For safety reasons..."

He hurried to reassure her, saying he didn't mean for her to feel like she had to tell him anything she didn't want to.

She just laughed again and waved it off, asking about him as the waiter came by and took their drink orders. Adrien had to pause for a moment to think of how to answer. There wasn't an answer he was expected to give now, so he was a bit lost.

"To be honest, I'm... Kind of lame." He said, laughing awkwardly.

She smiled kindly at him. "I doubt that. What do you like to do in your free time?"

"Ok, don't laugh."

"Cross my fingers." She said with a bright grin.

"Well, when I'm _not_ being ordered around to photoshoots and fittings I'm usually just at home with Plagg or, uhm, on UMS III."

She gasped. "No way! I love that game!"

He was a bit taken aback by that. "Uhm, really?"

"Yes, I always use the Ladybug bot." She said with a wink. "My father and I play it together all the time. I'm proud to say he doesn't ever win."

Grinning crookedly back at her, he said, "Well I don't know if that means he's really bad or you're really good."

"Hey!" She exclaimed, mock affronted. "You shouldn't be so rude to a Lady."

"Sorry, sorry." He held his hands up in surrender as she asked,

"So, who's Plagg?"

Adrien winced, he had been hoping she wouldn't ask about that. "Oh, uhm... He's my cat. But I swear, I only said that because he's a handful!"

She laughed, taking a drink of her soda that had just arrived. "No worries, I think it's really cute."

Adrien cleared his throat, willing the blush to go down. "Th-Thanks." And then he hastily added, "I have actual friends too! I swear, I'm not that pathetic..."

"I believe you." She said with that same bright smile that was starting to eat away at his life span. "Why don't you tell me about them, then?"

"Well, there's Chloe Bourgeois, but I guess I'm only 'friends' with her because of our fathers." He paused. "Shit, I am pretty pathetic. My only other friend is Nino-"

"Nino? Like, Nino Lahiffe?" She asked suddenly.

"Uhm... Yes?"

"Holy crap, no way! I went to school with him my whole life!"

Adrien blinked. "Really?"

"Yes! He's dating my best friend! Oh that's so cool! Nino's pretty great, isn't he? If you've got Nino as a friend you can't be _that_ pathetic."

"Thanks, if it wasn't for him I, uh, actually wouldn't have even made a, uhm..."

"Account?" She supplied, quirking an eyebrow.

He coughed, nodding. "Yeah, that. He said I needed 'affection...'" _And now I'm starting to wonder if that wasn't a good thing to say, oh no, now she's going to think you're actually a creep- _

"I could see that. Anyone who only has one friend is sure to get lonely."

"I have two-"

"Chloe doesn't count." She snipped, sticking her nose up. "Stupid Bourgeois. I couldn't stand her."

"Really? Did you go to school with her too?"

Ladybug groaned. "Boy, did I. Every year we were in the same damn class, and every year she made my life hell. Oooh, if only I could see her now, I'd let her have it."

Adrien laughed, causing her smile to return. He cheered inwardly at being able to provoke it so easily.

"Yeah, Chloe does that to people. I keep telling her she should get a permanent bodyguard."

"Oh, shoot. My homicide plans have been foiled. Way to go."

"Hey, I'm just trying to keep you out of jail. A pretty girl like you in there? You'd never survive." He sent her a wink and relished in the way she stared at him with parted lips and dazed eyes for a moment. Until she snapped out of it and returned the favor with a grin that should be downright _illegal_.

"Really? I'll have you know I can hold my own just fine."

"Is that so?" Adrien shot back in the same teasing tone. God, it had been so long since he had been able to have a conversation like this with someone. Since he had been able to flirt with a girl who wasn't there only for his name. Sure, Ladybug was here for the money, but somehow it felt better than if she was using him for his fame. He propped his elbow up on the table and held his hand open for hers. "Prove it."

She raised an eyebrow at him before mirroring his movements, sending a shiver down his spine at the touch of her skin against his.

"Alright. On the count of three."

"One."

"Two.

"Three!"

Adrien gasped as his hand hit the table, mouth gaping like a floundering fish.

"What the-"

"Language." She sang, pulling her hand back.

He whistled instead, rubbing his wrist. "You've definitely got some muscle there, Little Lady."

"It comes in handy when you're meeting with strangers. I've had to put a couple people in there place."

Adrien nodded. "Uhm, speaking of which. Ah, we should probably, well-"

"Discuss terms?" She said, cutting off his rambling. He shot her a grateful smile and nodded awkwardly.

"Well, I'm free Mondays, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, and Saturdays. We could try once, twice a week at first and then adjust it as we go." She offered.

Adrien nodded. "And how much should I...?"

"I w-would say maybe no less than five hundred each visit? I-If that's too much we can- It's just, I haven't gotten this far yet so I'm not sure, my best friend wasn't much help-"

"O-only five hundred?" Adrien said, astonished. "That seems like not enough to me."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Really?" She asked, then paused. "Well, how about we decide, uhm, boundaries and such and then we can talk about the money."

"Alright." Adrien agreed. "I, uhm..."

"It's ok, you don't have to be embarrassed. We're supposed to be open with each other and build trust, or the relationship won't work." Ladybug said soothingly. "Just tell me what you wanted when you decided to sign up to be a sugar daddy."

Taking her advice he swallowed down his embarrassment. "Well, it would be nice to take someone other than Chloe to the galas I have to attend, if you're free."

Her eyes widened. "Wha- really?"

"Yeah. And your profile said you like cooking and I don't usually, uhm, eat at home and it would be nice to have someone to eat _with_," Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, feeling more pathetic by the second.

"Sounds perfect to me." She said with a smile. "We could do dinner any night of the week except for Wednesdays; I have an evening class then."

Adrien's chest tightened at the thought of having someone to eat with every night and he nodded quickly.

"What else?" She asked, and he came up short.

"I'm... Not sure?"

"Really? That's all you want? A home cooked meal and a date for a few galas?" He could see the confusion in her eyes and the... It wasn't worry, but it wasn't pity, either. He wasn't sure what it was.

"Uhm... I don't know."

She nodded and reached across the table, placing her hand on his. His breath caught in his throat and he stared down at their hands.

"We can just take it slow. If you want more, just tell me, and we can work it out. I just, uhm..." She blushed, looking away. "Well I won't, uhm, go... all the way."

"Wha- No! No, no, I wouldn't want you to. I-I like this," he said, holding up their hands. "The uh, hand holding."

She nodded, her blush still there but her eyes back on him. "Me too."

They were quiet for a second before he snapped back out of it. "So, what do you need?"

She tilted her head and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Like, we went over why _I'm_ here, so why are _you_ here?"

"Oh. Right. Well, being a fashion student in uni is pretty expensive. I'm doing alright I suppose with the actual schooling, it's just the supplies that are a little too expensive for me right now. I'm sure you know how much fabric can cost."

"Oh trust me, I do." He pulled his hand back, his mind screaming at him _why, why, why?! _and reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He slid a small, shiny card across the table to her. "Here, use this for the supplies. It works at any store associated with _Gabriel_. All the employees get one, but I've never even used this."

Her jaw dropped open and she tried to push it back. "That's _too_ much." She said. "I buy a lot of fabric, and-"

He shook his head and forced the card back. "Trust me, it's barely a drop in the bucket compared to what all the designers at the company spend, and they make some _hideous_ shit. I'm sure you're much more talented." He winked again, and got much the same response as before.

"A-Alright."

"What about bills? What do you pay?"

"Well, I live with a roommate, so it's not much-"

"Do you have internet?"

"Well, no-"

"I'll do that."

"What? No, it's okay, the library is right around the cor-"

"I want to." He insisted, looking at her with imploring, wide eyes. He was surprised to see the exact moment her resolve cracked and crumbled around him.

"Oh, alright, just put the eyes away, _please_."

He did gladly, a smile on his face. "And I'll buy you dinner at least twice a week."

"I can't say no to that." She said, giggling a bit.

"Good. So I guess that's settled... But I think five hundred is still too low."

"What?!" She yelled, blushing and looking around apologetically. "No, no, no! You're already taking care of what that was for!" She said, waving around the card. "No more!"

He grinned crookedly at her. "For someone who's supposed to take money, you're pretty bad at receiving it."

She guffawed and blushed deeper, a frown on her face. "Fine."

"Eight hundred?"

"_Eight hundred?_ No. Adrien, that's too much."

He shrugged. "I don't use it. I want to spend it on you."

She thought for a moment. "Ok, how about this: We'll meet in the middle and do six hundred, and you can just... Put the other two hundred towards whatever, like the dinners."

Adrien frowned. "But the dinners were already included."

"Adrien." She groaned to the ceiling. "Stop being so difficult. I'm not taking that much money on top of everything else. It's too much!"

"The only one being difficult is you, M'Lady." He said, leaning back and crossing his arms. Who would have thought it would be this hard to give a sugar baby money? "How about this- I'll just keep it a secret and decide later?"

He watched her think it over before she sighed. "Fine. Fine, fine, fine. Have it your way."

"So it's settled then."

She smirked. "Looks like you've got yourself a secret sugar baby."


	2. Ch:2

Marinette flipped through her little cookbook of family recipes, trying to figure out what she wanted to make for Adrien first. It had to be good; she had to prove she really _could_ cook. If she chose a bad one, or even one that he didn't like, it could ruin future times where she wanted to cook for him. She paused at the thought, looking up and staring blankly across her kitchen.

She was going to be cooking for Adrien Agreste.

Holy shit.

With newfound vigor, she continued flipping through the book.

When her roommate and best friend Alya came home an hour later, that was how she found her. She had already gone through three different cookbooks, and was at her wits end.

"No, no, no! All of these are _crap_!" She cried, shoving the books over the end of the counter and groaning in despair.

"Woah, girl, chill out. What's the issue?" Alya chuckled, putting her purse on the table in the entryway.

"I'm trying to figure out what I want to cook for A- for my new sugar daddy, because that was one of the things we agreed on, but _none_ of these are good enough!" Alya beamed. "So you finally found a good sugar daddy?"

Marinette huffed. "_Yes_, but that is not the _point_. The _point_ is that if I don't make something good this first time, he's going to think I was _lying_, and that I _can't_ cook, and then he'll _hate_ me because I _lied_ to him, and then he'll fire me!"

Alya blinked at her friend before giving her a soft smile.

"Marinette, relax. It's not a real _job_, you don't get fired. It's more like, 'I'm really sorry, but this just doesn't work for me. Here's a small check for your trouble, good luck!'"

Marinette frowned at her. "That sounds an awful lot like getting let go at work."

"Ok, maybe it does, but the point _is_, it's not going to happen! You're an amazing cook, and I know whatever you decide on will be fabulous. Why not just do something fun and simple for the first time. Is he picky?"

Marinette thought for a moment. "No? He didn't say he was, but he does have to follow a strict diet."

"Oh? Is he vegetarian or something?"

"Well, no…" Marinette looked away. Adrien hadn't _explicitly_ told her she couldn't tell anyone about him, and considering his best friend was _her_ best friend's boyfriend, Alya was likely to find out sooner or later anyways. "He's… A model."

"Ohhh." Alya said in understanding. "I had one of those once. Was kind of annoying that he didn't eat like a normal person, but hey, I got to go to nicer restaurants for it, so. Would I know him?"

_Yeah, you and practically the rest of France_. "It's, uhm. Adrien Agreste."

Alya blinked at her once, twice, and once again. Her mouth popped open as she stared at her pigtailed friend. "You're _kidding!"_ She exclaimed, and at Marinette's blushing face, squealed, "_OhmyGod_, you're _not!" _She let out a loud, excited shriek and fist pumped the air. "Oh, this is the best thing ever. Remember when you used to have the most _massive_ crush on him in Lycee? Ohhh, you had _all_ the posters! Did you tell him? Can _I_ tell him?"

"Wha- _No! _We are _not_ saying anything!" Alya snickered. "Nothing at all, Alya!"

"Ok, ok. I'll be good. But only if you can convince him to go on double dates with Nino and I."

"That shouldn't be too hard, I mean, they are friends." Mariette said offhandedly as she turned and got off the island stool, searching for her cookbooks.

"_What?!"_ Alya nearly shrieked. "Nino is _friends_ with _Adrien Agreste,_ and he _didn't tell me?!" _

Marinette's eyes grew wide as she slowly stood back up from her crouch.

"Uhm, I'm just gunna…" She made a quick escape to her room, cookbooks in hand, as Alya went running for her phone.

…

"Hello, Little Lady." Adrien greeted her with a smile. He wore big, dark, designer sunglasses and a cozy looking grey sweater with the hood flicked up to hide his face. She could still tell who he was, so she doubted his disguise was really all that effective. She'd have to help him come up with a better one.

She smiled back and held up her bags of groceries. "Ready?"

"Of course. My apartment's only a couple blocks from here, we can just walk. Here, let me take those." He tried to take the bags from here but she held them away from him.

"M mm. I can carry them."

He frowned. "I know, but _I_ want to. Just let me hold a damn bag of groceries for once in my life." When she didn't respond, he huffed. "I'm _trying_ to be a _gentleman_ here."

She giggled at his kicked kitten face and handed them over. "Okay, just don't hurt yourself. It can be hard carrying groceries for the first time; let me know if you need me to take them back."

He stuck his tongue out at her with a badly contained grin. "I'm perfectly capable of-"

A bag ripped, sending veggies rolling across the sidewalk. They both stared at them in silence, before Marinette threw her head back and nearly cackled.

"Here, we can probably fit some in this bag, and we can just hold the rest," she said, taking the surviving bag back from him. "That was some pretty rotten luck." She said with a grin as Adrien collected all the veggies. "We're going to have to wash those really good, but since they've got skin and they're getting cooked, they'll be fine."

He wrapped them in the ripped plastic bag and then held them safely against his chest, cheeks pink. "Sorry."

She giggled and bumped her shoulder against his as they started walking again. "S'okay. No harm, no foul."

Adrien grinned crookedly. "Well, does that mean you didn't get any chicken?"

She stopped. "What."

"No harm no _fowl_." He grinned at her as if he was _proud_ of himself.

Marinette groaned, letting her head fall back. "God, please _no_."

Adrien's expression fell and his cheeks pinked again. "Ah, uhm, sorry. I can't help it, sometimes they just slip out, and-"

"No, I didn't mean it like that! It's okay, really; I like puns!" She rushed to soothe him, feeling bad for reacting rudely. "It's just funny 'cause my dad is always making jokes like that, and that's just how I respond to him, and I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, like, hurt you feelings or whatever, and now I'm babbling and-" Adrien cut her off with a laugh. "Ok. No need to worry. I just… I'm not the best at social stuff. I'm a little awkward."

Marinette smiled and they started walking again. "That's alright, I'm a lota awkward." She paused and then thought of something else. "Oh, by the way, I uhm… I told my roommate the other night about you, I hope that's ok?"

Adrien glanced at her from the side of his sunglasses. "Yeah, that's fine. I guess we should have talked about that before. Just as long as it doesn't get around that I'm… Uhm, _you know, _then it's alright. I just, if it got back to my father, he'd likely filet me and hang me out to dry. I've got to 'uphold the Agreste name,' and all that shit."

Marinette nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't want your reputation to be smeared. But what about when we go out and about? People are going to recognize you almost anywhere we go, and they won't hesitate to publish photos they take." "I _was_ thinking about that. They'll likely assume we're dating, and well, that would be a good enough cover for me, and when people ask I can just tell them that we're friends through Nino, and not to read too much into the tabloids."

Marinette hummed. "That's really smart. Good thinking."

He grinned. "Thank you, M'Lady."

…

"Alya wants us to go on double dates with her and Nino." Marinette said as she stood at the stove, tossing veggies around in the pan.

Adrien seemed to brighten up at that. "That sounds like a great idea!"

"It will also back your Nino story a bit, if some reporters get pictures of us with them."

"Mhm. So are you going to tell me what you're cooking yet? It smells fantastic."

"Nope. Patience is a virtue."

Adrien grinned. "Curiostiy may have killed the cat, Little Lady, but satisfaction brought it back."

As if on cue, Plagg trotted through the kitchen, mewled at them, and then waltzed off.

Marinette laughed. "Well, you can die now from your curiosity and then later when you finally get to eat the satisfaction will bring you back."

"Or you could just, save me all that trouble, and tell me now?"

"But that's no fun. You must wait."

He sighed dramatically. "As my Lady wishes."

Marinette giggled, her cheeks heating up, and not from the heat of his stove.

It was silent for a few moments, not necessarily a bad silence, but Marinette tried to find a way to fill it anyways. "So, uhm. You're apartment is really nice." Adrien chuckled, thankful for something to talk about as well. "Yeah, it's a lot smaller than what I grew up with, but it's cozier. Well, at least when I've got other people over. Otherwise Plagg will just stroll though like _he_ pays the rent and I'm just the help."

"Oh?" Marinette laughed. His cat was definitely a character, she couldn't argue with him on that.

"Yeup. But he usually disapears when people come over. I'm surprised at how much he's been checking _meowt_." She rolled her eyes at his silly grin.

"Oh, like _you_ were last time?"

His face flared red and his smile fell into an embarressed cringe. "Ehe. Sorry." He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, the action causing Marinette to momentarily forget everything else in her life. The way his shirt pulled up and revealed just a tiny sliver above his hip, and how his arm flexed from the way it was held had Marinette feeling _very_ flustered.

"T-That's okay…" She stuttered, shaking herself out of it. Shyly she turned back to the stove.

It had been nice, so far. Adrien was easy to speak to- something she had learned when she first met him- and carried conversations easily enough. He wasn't overly touchy like she had worried about when she first decided to become a sugar baby. In fact, she almost wished he would be _more_ touchy. But he wasn't joking when he said just the hand holding, and there hadn't been much opportunity for that yet. A shame, really, cosidering how soft and warm his hands were, and how they practically swallowed up hers, and-

"I'm no cook, but I think you're burning something."

She gasped, yanking the pan off the stove. "Oh shoot! Sorry, I, uh…"

Adrien laughed, his eyes shining happily. A shot of pride went through her at being able to make him look so happy so easily.

"W-Well, it's done. Would you grab me two plates?"

"Of course, M'Lady." He said with a teasing grin, giving her a bow and all.

She waited for his back to be turned to her before she let her expression change as she fanned herself. He was just… _Insanely_ attractive and sweet. She was going to get a tooth ache if she spent too much time with him. She smiled slightly to herself. She might as well make a dentist appointment now, because if there was one thing all sugar babies did it was spending a lot of time with their suagr daddies.

She took the offered plates from Adrien. She loaded the plates up with the grilled zucchini and squash from the stove before openening the oven, pulling out the lemon and spinach quiche.

Adrien 'ooo'd. "So that's what you made. That's one of the best looking quiches I've ever seen."

Marinette laughed. "Let's hope it's best tasting, too."

…

"So… Do you want me to call you Daddy?"

Adrien choked on his wine, scrambling for his napkin to wipe his mouth. When he looked up he was met with Marinette's teasing grin, her eyes squinted in the most mischievous of looks.

"Uhm…" He couldn't help the way the word had hit him in the gut. If he was honest, he really wanted her to call him Daddy. He cringed inwardly. That made him really weird, didn't it?

Marinette laughed at his red face and waved her hand. "Relax, I was teasing." and then she leaned across the table, her grin becomming more sly. "Unless you _do_, and then I was _not_ teasing."

"Uhm…" He said again, trying to connect his brain back to the power source. He tugged at his collar and looked away. "That, uh… might be- nice."

Her smile changed once again, becoming soft. "Okay." a pause. "Daddy." She tacked on with a wink.

Adrien wheezed, tugging harder on his collar. "Ok, only when we're in _private_." He stressed. He had this mental image of her saying something like that when they were out and about, and he didn't think he was ever going to be able to control the way it made his face heat up or his knees feel like jelly.

"Of course." She said, and they went back to eating.

…

Adrien walked her to the metro, paying for her entrance, and then stood aimlessly outside the station for a moment. He hadn't wanted her to leave, but she had a class early the next morning, and had to go home and sleep. He made sure to drag his feet as much as he could on his way back home, knowing it was going to be quiet and empty again without his Ladybug there. He missed her already and it had only been five minutes. Standing outside his apartment building, he realized he was going to be in a lot of trouble.

He might be falling for her.


	3. Ch:3

'Might be' was pretty much out the door at this point.

It had been two days since Ladybug had come over and made dinner for him, and he was having withdrawals. Was that even the right word? He had only _met _her two times, wasn't this unhealthy?

He found himself wandering aimlessly when he was home, feeling like it was too empty. Even though it had always _been _like this and it had _never _felt so... quiet. Even Plagg seemed gloomy.

Sometimes he even turned to say something, but no one was there to listen. It was sad in a way, that two days of warm conversation had been enough to make him crave it in every silent moment.

But! She was coming over again that night, meaning he could soak up her sunshine for the few hours he had her attention. She had messaged him not too long ago saying she was bringing salad, bread, and ice cream. He couldn't wait to see her face again, to turn on a movie and tuck her under his arm as they watched a romantic movie, and she would peer up at him, and say-

"Mreow."

_Not _that.

Adrien looked down at Plagg, the cat looking back at him expectantly.

Sighing, he got up and followed the dark cat as he led him to his food dish.

With an unamused look, Adrien said,

"That's still full."

Plagg sat down and yowled pitifully at him.

"I'm not feeding you again."

Plagg kept eye contact as he swatted his bowl, dumping half it's contents on the floor.

Adrien tipped his head back to the ceiling and groaned.

He couldn't wait for his Lady time.

...

A cute little rythmic knock on the door had Adrien launching over the back of his couch to answer it.

Throwing the door open he beamed at the short woman at his door.

"Little Lady!" He exclaimed, pulling her in and closing the door.

She giggled, melting his heart.

"Hello, Adrien," she said, smiling back at him. She held up the bag in her hand. "Hungry?"

He couldn't help the way his eyes fell down her body, or the way his thoughts ran off into the gutter.

Adrien gulped and looked away, hoping she hadn't caught that look. "Y-Yes."

"Good. To the kitchen with you."

A smile broke across his face again. "Yes, M'Lady."

She rolled her eyes but the smile didn't fade. Following him into the kitchen, she asked,

"How was your day?"

Adrien felt his heart loosen a bit more. It was crazy how a simple question could almost lift all the tightness from his chest.

"It was alright; kind of boring. Plagg was being a little shit."

"So the usual?" She teased. Adrien shrugged.

"I mean, my days don't usually end with such a pretty girl bringing me ice cream. I _do _have a diet, you know."

She pouted and held up a plastic tub of spring mix.

"And salad."

Adrien laughed. "And salad."

...

"So, what movie should we watch?" Ladybug asked after they had finished their salad, bread, and blueberry lemonade.

Adrien hummed. "I don't really know. Why don't you pick?"

Ladybug smiled. "I was hoping you would say that."

She finished washing the last dish and handed it to him put in the drying rack before going over to her purse. She reached in and pulled out a movie with a flourish.

Adrien raised a brow laughingly. "What's that?"

"Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn; my _favorite _actress ever." She shook the case at him. "Thank God for subtitles."

"I love subtitles." Adrien said with a grin.

"Good," she said, matching his grin and nearly skipping to his side. Her grin turned mischievously wicked as she batted her lashes exaggeratedly and said, "Would you put it in for me, Daddy?"

They were silent for a second before they both went red in the face and snickered.

Adrien snatches it from her, half-heartedly grumbling, all the while his stomach twisting in happy knots.

Ladybug grabbed the ice cream tub, banana pudding, and spoons for the two of them before following him into the living room. She waited for him to put in the disk and then sit down before settling next to him, their sides brushing almost intimately.

Adrien bid his heart to slow as the previews prattled on. By the time the title screen came in, his Lady was happily tucked under his arm and a good layer of ice cream had been scraped away.

Ladybug leaned forward and turned on the French subtitles before hitting play and snuggling back into him.

Adrien couldn't remember a time when he had been happier.

...

Adrien couldn't remember what happiness was.

"Are... Are you crying?" Ladybug asked, looking at him with such care.

"Are there no happy endings?" He cried. "What kind of terrible movie was that?"

Ladybug looked between him and the rolling end credits and then back again.

"It's a lovely movie."

"No it's not! They fell in love and then she had to leave him for her country."

"Adrien," she said softly. "They only knew each other for a day. _Besides, _it's only a movie."

"_What?" _He exclaimed. "How could you say that?"

She reached forward and wiped away his tears. "Think of it this way: the princess got to experience a little bit of love and a normal life before she had to commit fully to becoming Queen. They'll always have the memories, but they'll grow from it and eventually find people they can love for the rest of their lives. _And _they got to see each other one last time and put it all to rest. He even got to give her all the pictures.

Sniffling, he concurred. "I guess."

Ladybug smiled softly at him. "I'm sorry. I'll pick a happier movie next time." She paused, thinking. "I advise you to never watch the Painted Veil. I don't think you would recover from that one."

He groaned, letting his forehead fall to rest on her shoulder. "Noted."


	4. Ch:4

The bell rang, sending students into a hurry to pack up their things. Marinette occupies herself with her pencils in hopes that Alya wouldn't bring up the... model subject.

Business was the only class they had together, and while she was usually eager to go over everything recent with her friend once they were released, today was not the case.

But like every day, Alya asked anyways.

"So... How'd your _date _go?" She wiggled her eyebrows at her half-Asian friend, delighting in the angry look she got.

"Girl, have I told you how sexy that look makes your eyes?" Alya teased to try and loosen her up.

Marinette rolled said eyed. "Yes, you have. And for your information, I made him _cry." _

Alya gasped. "What?! Why? Did you kiss him to make it better?" The look her friend sent her told her _no. _

"We decided to watch a movie, so I brought Roman Holiday and it made him cry."

"Whaaat?" She drawled. "_Why_?"

"Because the ending wasn't happy enough for him," Marinette said as the two headed out. "I felt _terrible_."

"Oh psh. He'll get over it; he's a grown man."

Marinette shrugged. "I'm not so sure."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's just that..." the noirette sighed. "Sometimes I get this really sad vibe from him."

"Well, duh. He's a sugar daddy for a reason."

Marinette shook her head. "No, that's not it. It's a different feeling than I got from the other guys I tried. I think it was a big reason I decided to follow through."

"That, and he's _the _Adrien Agreste."

"I mean, you're not wrong. But sometimes he just seems so... broken?"

...

"Are you _broken?" _The photographer snapped. "What is this? What happened to your spaghetti?"

"Uhm, I don't know?" Adrien replied.

"Well _find it!" _Vincent yelled. Throwing his hands up, he ordered, "Take five!" Before storming off.

Adrien sighed. Ever since Ladybug had left the night before, his spaghetti had disappeared, so to speak. He couldn't help but to keep thinking of that movie, knowing that would be them soon. Because, really, how long could this _arrangement _last? She had said it was only a movie, but it was starting to feel more and more like his life. They would never be together, and he was crazy for thinking he had a chance. And he couldn't even say he wished he hadn't listened to Nino, because then he would have never met her. Or maybe he would have, and they would have fallen in love the right way, get married, had kids, and grown old together. Was this his punishment for doing something as risqué as being a sugar daddy? Was this fate saying-

"You still haven't found your spaghetti!"

_Still not_ that. What was it with people interrupting his inner monologues?

"If you cannot cooperate, then go home!" Vincent yelled, red in the face.

Adrien stared at him for a moment longer, blinked, and left.

...

His call went to voicemail, making Adrien groan and shove the phone back in his pocket.

He squinted in the sun as he walked down the sidewalk. It was just past lunch, meaning the only people littering the streets were tourists, and they usually left him alone. Unless they needed directions.

He honestly couldn't remember the last time it had been this quiet when he was out and about, and yet now he almost wished someone _would _come up and ask for his picture, just so he could have someone to talk to. He hadn't really expected Ladybug to pick up; he knew she had class today. If he was remembering correctly, today was the day she wouldn't have any time at all.

Dragging his hand down his face, he turned onto the road with his apartment building.

...

Marinette shifted on her stool behind the counter, wishing it was six o'clock already. It was _so _slow, and she couldn't stop thinking about Adrien.

It had been so sweet, the way he had cried at the movie the night before. He was so soft and fragile, she wanted to wrap him up tight, and never let anyone else near him. Which was not plausible, because he was _actually_ famous. And there was no way he would want to spend forever with _her _of all people.

She paused.

But he wanted to spend _now _with her of all people. So _what _if he would move on at some point and not want a sugar baby anymore? Until that happened, she would make the most of it.

Pulling out her phone, she saw she had a missed call from him. Butterflies roused in her stomach as she opened a message chat with him.

_Ladybug: _I get off @ six tonight. Dinner at your house again?

She took a deep breath and hit send.

...

Adrien nearly jumped as his phone pinged. Plagg took off as he lunged for his phone, scooping it up from the table.

A smile split across his face as he typed out a response.

_Chat Noir: _Of course, M'Lady.

She sent back a kissy face and he wheezed. Glancing at the time he saw it was only 4:32. Shoulders slumped, he fell back into the couch before sending her back the heart eyed cat.

Before realizing that perhaps that was much too forward.

"Ahg!" He gripped his hair and groaned. Why couldn't he do anything right?


End file.
